THE
QUIMANS
EEKLY
“News from Next Door”
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020
$1.00
NEWS
Pasquotank County
reports 23rd COVID-19
death — A5
PETS OF THE WEEK
See what’s available at the
shelter — A6
COMMUNITY
The Fishin' Hole — Bl
PQ Central School Student Quarantined at Home
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
A student at Perquimans Cen
tral School tested positive for
COVID-19 last weekend.
Tuesday, Perquimans School
system sent a letter to parents
from the school system and Al
bemarle Regional Health Ser
vices. A copy of the letter ap
pears at the end of this article.
To protect the student’s priva
cy, the school system is not re
leasing the student’s name, grade
level or teacher’s name.
“The student is currently iso
lating at home. The family has
done an excellent job of support
ing mitigating efforts outlined in
the school system’s re-entry plan
by following the daily screen
ing process and keeping the
child at home when symptoms
emerged,” said the letter that
was signed by Superintendent
Tanya Turner and ARHS Health
Director Battle Betts.
The Perquimans County
Schools was the only area school
district to begin the school year
last week with in-person classes.
Perquimans High School held
in-person classes on Monday;
Perquimans Middle School held
in-person classes on Tuesday
and Wednesday; and Perquimans
Central and Hertford Grammar
schools held in-person classes
Tuesday through Friday.
According to Perquimans
Schools, 30 percent of the sys
tem’s 1660 students enrolled
Pre-K — 12th grade opted for
remote education over the face-
to-face approach favored by 70
percent of students.
Students entering the build
ings had to wear masks and if
they did not have one, masks
were provided. Staff and teach
ers led by example by wearing
masks.
After a student’s temperature
was taken by staff, they were
asked a series of health ques
tions before being allowed to
proceed to classes. Social dis
tancing was practiced.
Students exited the school
buses one by one - usually at
least 6 feet apart. Desks divid
ed the hallways so as to keep
See STUDENT, A3
Man Faces
Animal
Cruelty
Charge
Gertie Recovering at
Tri-County Animal Shelter
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Hertford man has been
charged with animal cruelty
after he allegedly dragged his
dog that was tied to his velucle’s
back bumper.
Thanks to a citizen’s tip, Ser
geant John Duncan and Officer
Mark Cummings, both of the
Hertford Police Department,
arrested Robert Selph, 42, of
Hertford on Aug. 15 after receiv
ing a call that he was allegedly
dragging a dog for several feet
on Granby Street near the boat
ramp, according to witnesses.
Selph was charged with felony
animal cruelty, driving while
under the influence and open
container.
Selph appeared Aug. 19 in
District Court. His case has been
moved to Nov. 18. He’s posted
bond that was set at $3,000 se
cured.
Duncan said the dog, a pitbull
mix blend named Gertie, looked
bad and had lost a lot of blood
after the incident.
Dog was treated an area vet
and is now doing fine in custody
at the Tri County Animal Shel
ter, Perquimans County Sheriff
Shelby White said.
Animal shelter Director Kate
lyn Robertson said Gertie’s
paws were injured, but it is in
good health and she’s in recov
ery. Robertson said pending the
outcome of Selph’s court case
scheduled for November, Gertie
would not be released into his
custody because the dog is con
sidered evidence.
Robertson said if Selph is
found not guilty, he would have
to pay veterinary bills and asso
ciated cost of care if the dog is
released into his custody.
GERTIE
6 1 89076 47144
2
Vol. 86, No. 35
@2020 Perquimans Weekly
All Rights Reserved
PHOTOS BY MILES LAYTON
Hertford Town Councilman Quentin Jackson (center) was among the leaders of a protest seeking, if
a vacancy occurs, that the Perquimans School system hire a Black principal.
Rally Calls for Change in Education
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
A peaceful rally was held
Monday to call attention to
how there is no Black princi
pal in Perquimans County’s
four schools as well as the low
performance rates by Black
students taught within those
schools.
See the Perquimans Weekly’s
Facebook page to view a video
of the protest at the Perquimans
County Board of Education of
fice.
Letters expressing support
for hiring a Black principal ap
pear on the editorial page A4
from Black elected officials and
the Perquimans County Fellow
ship of Churches.
Worth noting, there have been
Black principals in the past at
Perquimans schools and pres
ently, 50 percent of the system’s
assistant principals are Black.
For graphs about Perquimans
See RALLY, A2
Garvey Named Perquimans County Schools Teacher of the Year
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Kristine Garvey, a fifth
grade teacher at Hertford
Grammar School has been
named the Perquimans Coun
ty Schools Teacher of the
Year.
Also, three outstanding ed
ucators have received a pat
on the back for their service
to the school district and stu
dents: Doriece Pittman, Kira
Johnston and Susan Perry.
Garvey will represent the
school district in regional
Teacher of the Year Competi-
A marcher
lays a flower
at the base of
historical markers
commemorating
the
accomplishments
of educators Lillie
Essie Burke and
Beulah Elizabeth
Burke, two of
the Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority
Inc.’s original nine
founders.
GARVEY JOHNSTON PERRY PITTMAN
tion as part of the 2021 Bur
roughs Wellcome Fund North
Carolina Teacher of the Year
Program coordinated by the
North Carolina Department
of Public Instruction.
Round-Up
McMullan
and the
Power
of Prayer
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
A round-up of all things
Perquimans County...
Assistant Super
intendent James Bunch
remains in the hospital in
1 Greenville. Been a rough
week, but he’s reputed to be
a “tough old bird.” Please
offer your prayers.
In other news, author
Philip Sidney McMullan,
Jr. has a formidable resume.
! See a related story about the
book “A House in the Albe
marle” he helped to write on
page Bl
Anyway, this country edi
tor enjoys local history and
learning more about folks’
background. If you didn’t
know Phil better, you’d think
j he was just an ordinary guy,
but check this out - notes
included in the book.
Phil attended Edenton
High School and Virginia
Episcopal School. He holds
an engineering degree from
Duke University ‘52, an MBA
from the Wharton School
‘58, and a Master of Arts in
History from North Carolina
State University 2010. After
DuPont, Hughes Aircraft,
and Army service, he spent
22 years at the Research
Triangle Institute (RTI
■ International). He returned
j to the Albemarle to direct
Northeastern North Caroli
na Tomorrow, Inc. at ECSU,
then became an Adjunct Pro
fessor of History at the Col
lege of the Albemarle. He is
now a consultant to the IBX
Harbortown Project, which
See LAYTON, A3
The program provides an
opportunity to honor and rec
ognize exemplary teachers in
North Carolina and call atten
tion to the importance of the
teaching profession. Garvey
was selected by her peers as
this year’s Teacher of the Year
at Hertford Grammar School.
Superintendent Tanya
Turner describes Garvey as
an energetic, enthusiastic,
and professional educator.
“When I visit Mrs. Garvey’s
classroom, I enter an atmo
sphere of excitement, praise,
and innovation. Students are
actively involved in a myri
ad of activities, demonstrat
ing Mrs. Garvey’s practice
of providing instructional
See TEACHER,A3